Houston Texans lose wide receiver to Steelers in offseason shuffle

Pittsburgh Bound

Texans CJ Stroud, o-line, Tytus Howard, Jarrett Patterson
Robert Woods is headed to Pittsburgh. Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images.

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran wide receiver Robert Woods to a one-year deal on Thursday.

The 33-year-old Woods has spent 12 years in the NFL, including the past two with the Houston Texans. Woods caught a career-low 20 passes for 203 yards in 15 games for the Texans last season.

Woods is joining a wide receiver group that includes two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf — acquired in a March trade with Seattle — and George Pickens, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Woods has caught 683 passes for 8,233 yards and 38 touchdowns across his career and twice had more than 1,000 yards receiving. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams after the 2021 season, though he missed the playoffs after tearing the ACL in his left knee in November of that year.

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The Texans are flying under the radar. Composite Getty Image.

NFL analyst Albert Breer isn’t buying the quiet offseason surrounding the Houston Texans. In his view, the buzz — or lack of it — isn’t reflective of what this team actually is: a legitimate AFC contender that should be taken seriously in 2025.

Much of the skepticism, Breer believes, comes from surface-level narratives. The Texans went 10-7 in the regular season last year, a step back from the lofty expectations set after C.J. Stroud’s electric rookie year and Houston’s dramatic playoff push. And while the offense didn’t maintain its early-season explosion under Bobby Slowik, people seem to be overlooking how that same Texans team ended the year: as one of the last four teams standing in the AFC — alongside the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens.

In Breer’s eyes, Houston belongs in that group. The defense is championship-caliber, with rising stars and playmakers at every level. And offensively, the switch to Nick Caley as offensive coordinator could be just what the unit needs. Caley brings a fresh voice and perspective, and paired with a fully settled-in Stroud, the Texans are well-positioned to take another leap forward.

One moment Breer points to as underrated: Houston’s Divisional Round game against Kansas City at Arrowhead. While most remember the Texans bowing out of the playoffs there, many forget they were trailing by just one point going into the fourth quarter — toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs in one of the toughest environments in football.

The Texans’ current win total is set at 9.5 by oddsmakers — a line Breer believes is too low. His expectation? Twelve wins and another deep playoff run. To him, the narrative that Houston is being “slept on” will disappear soon enough — likely around the time the Texans remind everyone why they’re still a problem in the AFC.

You can watch the video below for the full conversation.

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